"What is the point of a deadlift?"

That's a question I fielded this week from a client. It was said with genuine curiosity, as well as a dash of skepticism.

And you know what? I get it.

Deadlifts get a bad name because stubbornness, brute strength, and an unbreakable will to see "dem gainz" can take you pretty far. Some people don't need good technique, or even much patience, in order to achieve a 1-2x bodyweight lift. Walk into any commercial gym and you'll see what I'm talking about. Heck, my early days of deadlifts would fall under this category too.

And this approach can work. Until it doesn't.

When I first heard the phrase "curse of knowledge" I knew exactly what it meant.  For one, I thought of past teachers that couldn't understand why I failed to grasp their subject (looking at you, my 9th grade math teacher).  For another, I thought of my previous life as a social marketer, when I had a boss keen on telling me that what I "should've done" only after it had been completed.

In both cases, someone forgot what it's like to be without the knowledge that they take for granted. I'll be the first one to say that I get plagued by the curse of knowledge all the time. I try to hide it well - the curse, that is, hopefully not the knowledge - but it still leaks out.

Deadlifts get an unfair shake. Whether it's unfortunate anecdotes - er, horror stories - or numerous YouTube videos of ill-advised attempts, I understand why.

Yet when analyze it, the deadlift is one of the best ways to make people stronger, leaner, and more athletic.  It also does a great job at preparing people for life, which for 99% of us is the actual goal of our training.

So in my attempt to "Make America Lift Again," I'd like to do my part to change the perception of deadlifts.  After all, the empowering and primal feeling of lifting something heavy off the floor is unlike many other feelings you can get in life.  But hitting a baseball around 400 feet is a close second ;)

Below is a 5 minute guide to improve your deadlift and set up.  Let me know what you think!

"Simple. Not easy."

Aside from being my favorite life mantra, this phrase expresses the struggle of the first step of the Turkish get-up. Also called the roll-up, this seemingly simple first step integrates rolling patterns, glute and lat activation, and shoulder stability, all during an open-chain movement.

Sometimes when we get "stuck" on that first step, it's due to needing more practice at one of these requirements. For example, we don't often roll around on the floor in everyday life, unless of course, you're within earshot of my sense of humor.

Other times, the open-chain nature of holding a kettlebell in the air can make it hard to tell when you're in the right position, versus the sorta-right-position.

But a majority of the time the problem is mental.

I'm a fan of head fakes.  Not in a sleazy way.  Only in a training way.

For example, my quest to deadlift 500 pounds in 2014 may have seemed arbitrary, if not wholly brotastic.  But actually, it was an exercise in conquering persistent back pain and increasing my confidence when lifting heavy things.  And, well, it helped build my "gym cred" too.

My current goal to become a Beast Tamer is more of the same.  It may appear as if I'm trying to join an elite fraternity, but the real goal is to continue learning the skill of strength and being able to accomplish what I've set my mind to. 

So when it comes to training and setting goals for others, it's no surprise that I employ the same strategy.  If someone wants to get leaner or more muscular - and really, that's the heart of most people's goals - I tend to recommend training for the Tactical Strength Challenge.  Its blend of maximal strength (deadlift), relative strength (pull-ups), and conditioning (kettlebell snatches) is a great way to test your physical preparedness.  But really, it's one of the best fat loss and mass building programs I've ever encountered.